AN – Okay everyone… yesterday I was a bit late with posting and therefore I thought I should try to post this part a bit earlier than normally. Hope you don't mind ;-) Thanks for all your reviews and kind words. I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoy my story and I hope you like this part too…

A Snowy Weekend – Part 19

Disclaimer - See part one for all important information

The parking lot

6:23 PM

"Okay, what do you all think? Did we do a good job?" Harm asked the boys and Mac while they stood in front of their just finished version of 'Mr. and Mrs. Snowman'.

Harm had put his left arm around Mac's shoulders so he could hold her close to him while his right one held Little AJ protectively against him. Jimmy stood right in front of his aunt, clasping her left hand in his own ones. They all had a bright smile on their faces as they surveyed their work.

Around them it was already pitch dark, but the parking lot lights gave them more than enough light to enjoy their efforts. A while ago it'd started to snow a little bit, but the little flakes were only visible while looking straight into the ray of the lights.

"If you're asking me, young man, I would say you all did a very good job," a familiar voice gently commented from their left before either of them could say something. "I especially like the guard dog Mr. and Mrs. Snowman have for protection," Mrs. Ebenezer elaborated some more and finally moved out of the shadow, where she'd stood completely unknown to Mac, Harm and the two boys for more than an hour.

Over an hour ago Mrs. Ebenezer had thought that leaving her apartment to get some fresh air outside was one of the best ideas she had had over this weekend and as soon as she'd walked outside the house she noticed just how right she had been.

The moment she'd opened the door that would lead her to the parking lot, she was greeted by a very happy sound coming from her left side. It was the mixed sounds of giggles and laughter from children and adults. It didn't take long for her to realize that it was coming from Sarah and her guests.

It had already started getting dark, but she'd still been able to see exactly where the sound came from. She enjoyed watching the little family, which hadn't noticed her yet. They were so engrossed in what they were doing and being together, that nothing else around them had existed.

It'd warmed her heart and made her smile to see just how happy Sarah looked while being together with the children and her Harm. The sadness and pain Mrs. Ebenezer so often had been able to see in her eyes and body language through the years seemed to have vanished. "Be happy, my dear. Let your Prince Charming give you the love he feels for you. Let him in, Sarah, and you will get the happiness you so much deserve," Mrs. Ebenezer had spoken quietly into the wind, hoping it would convey the message to the young woman, who stood a few feet away from her.

Harm looked at the familiar figure coming out of the shadow and smiled. Then his gaze moved to the guard dog Mrs. Ebenezer was talking about and had to smile even more.

The figure right next to Mrs. Snowman didn't really look like a dog and much more like an unidentifiable creature with four legs. However, Little AJ had insisted to get Mr. and Mrs. Snowman a dog, so it could protect them at night. That's why he and his uncle had tried to build a snow-dog too. 'Guess Mrs. Ebenezer has overheard our conversation about building a dog. Either that or you have to stand far away from it to identify it as such,' Harm thought and chuckled.

"That's Barney," Little AJ proudly told her. "He's a German shepherd dog."

"Oh, I can see that, AJ. Did you make it?" She asked him even though she knew the answer already.

Little AJ nodded his head and then looked up at his godfather. "Uncle Harm helped me."

Mrs. Ebenezer smiled at Harm and then turned her gaze back to the young boy. "You two did a really good job. He looks like a very protective dog to me. I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Snowman are more than safe standing here all night and day with him around."

Her answer made AJ smile even more and he looked up at his godparents. "See, I told you they needed a dog to be safe here."

Harm and Mac could only chuckle and gave him a nod. "Yeah, I think you were right," Mac answered him and then gave her neighbor a loving hug. "Thank you," she whispered into Mrs. Ebenezer's ear and got a little squeeze in response.

"Auntie Mac, I'm hungry," Little AJ suddenly announced and Mrs. Ebenezer and Mac broke their embrace with a laugh.

"Oh, really? Then we better get back to my apartment and find something to eat, huh?"

"Can we have spaghetti?" AJ pleadingly asked, hoping to get his favorite meal tonight.

"Yeah, I think we can manage that," Mac told him with a smile on her face and then once more let her gaze wander to her neighbor. "Would you like to join us for dinner? I'm sure there's more than enough for the five of us."

"Thank you, my dear. But I already ate more cookies than is good for me this afternoon and I still have a little job to conclude," Mrs. Ebenezer mystically answered. "How 'bout another time?" She suggested and let her gaze wander from Mac to Harm and back to her neighbor.

"We hold you to that!" Harm immediately gave her their answer with a sweet smile and then embraced her into a gentle hug. "Thank you for everything," he quietly told Mrs. Ebenezer and then placed a peck on her check.

"You're welcome," she softly responded.

They exchanged their goodbyes and while Harm, Mac and the boys made their way back to the building Mrs. Ebenezer stayed behind. She answered Jimmy and AJ's exciting waves with some of her own until they disappeared behind the heavy door. "Okay, old lady. Time to complete the picture," she told herself out loud and began to do what needed to be done.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mac's Apartment

6:37 PM

"Okay, boys. Get out of your snowsuits while I start making us supper," Mac told them as soon as they entered her apartment and took off her gloves, coat, and Harm's scarf. Then she looked directly at Harm and gave him a little smile. "And you should change into something dry too before you really get sick," she pointed out and walked into the kitchen to put some water on the stove to boil.

Harm took off his coat and gloves before starting to help Jimmy out of his wool-gloves. "Why don't I give the boys their bath and put them into their PJ's?" He called behind her, unzipping Jimmy's snowsuit.

Mac immediately stuck her head out of the kitchen and shook it. "I think that's a bad idea, Harm," she softly told him.

"How so?" Harm asked, not sure why Mac thought it was a bad idea.

"Well, we are having spaghetti for dinner and I know what happens as soon as Jimmy gets spaghetti placed in front of him," Mac answered him and disappeared back into the kitchen. "I assume you never made spaghetti while Jimmy was around?" She called behind her.

"Nope, can't say I ever have. What does he do?" Harm wanted to know and took off Jimmy's boots and snowsuit, seeing that Little AJ already had taken off his own. "Or don't I want to know?"

Mac chuckled and came out of the kitchen again. She took off her boots and put them right next to the entryway, where Harm had placed his just a few moments earlier. "He loves to eat them with his hands. Okay, wait. Maybe I should say that he loves trying to eat them with his hands. Most of the tomato sauce you will find smeared across his face, hands and clothes. Not to forget the nest made out of spaghetti you can always find on top of his head at the end, right Jimmy?" She asked her younger godson and ruffled his hair.

As if he knew exactly what his aunt was talking about, Jimmy started to giggle and clapped his hands in excitement. Then he ran to his blanket a few feet away and sat down to start playing with his toys.

Harm laughed and shook his head. "Okay, I guess we better let them wear the long underwear they have on now until we're done with dinner. We can bathe and change them afterwards."

Mac nodded. "Now that sounds like a pretty good idea, Squid."

Harm just shrugged his shoulders and gave her one of his flyboy-grins. "I already told you earlier that I do have my moments. Just let me get into some dry pants and then I would like to help you with supper," he said and gave her a short peck on her lips before making his way into Mac's bedroom.

"Afraid I'll burn the sauce?" Mac called behind him with a raised eyebrow, still standing where he'd left her just a few seconds earlier.

"Nah, I'm more worried about you burning the spaghetti," Harm answered at once from the bedroom and completed his statement with a chuckle.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Navy."

"Well, I'm a very funny man," Harm said, now leaning against the doorframe of Mac's bedroom.

Mac just groaned, shook her head and walked back into the kitchen, closely followed by Harm and Little AJ.

"Auntie Mac, can I call Mom?" AJ asked, already holding Mac's telephone receiver in his hand.

Mac gave him a smile and took the receiver from him. "Sure, Sweetie," she answered him and pressed speed-dial button four for Harriet's cell-phone number. "Here ya go."

"Thanks," Little AJ quickly answered and took the receiver back from Mac. Then he walked out of the kitchen just to find a spot right in front of the sparkling Christmas tree.

Harm and Mac's eyes followed him and as soon as they saw that he got a connection, they turned their attention back to making their supper.

"So, what's your plan? Self-made sauce or something out of a jar?"

"The latter one," Mac answered and put the pasta into the now boiling water.

"Any chance for us to make some self-made tomato sauce for the spaghetti?" Harm asked and already started to rummage through Mac's cabinets.

"I somehow doubt that," she answered and suddenly inhaled sharply when she felt just how close Harm was standing behind her while he opened one of the cabinet doors above her.

"Hmmm," Harm murmured, being preoccupied in his doing and took one of the items out of the cabinet. "A can of peeled tomatoes," he said in triumph and placed it onto the counter before closing the door of the cabinet again.

That's when he finally realized just how close he was standing behind Mac. The sweet smell of her perfume was teasing his senses and her slightly tense posture told him that she was trying her hardest to fight the affect their closeness was having on her.

Harm couldn't resist and slowly pushed some of Mac's hair with his right hand out of the way, so that he could let his tongue softly run over her skin before he started to suck on her ear.

"Harm," Mac quietly moaned while her hands strongly gripped the edge of the counter, trying to find something to hold on to, should her weak legs suddenly give out under her.

She couldn't stop herself and slightly turned her head so that their lips finally met for the so much needed kiss. It started as a sweet and gentle kiss but quickly turned into something more needing and exploratory. Mac's palms softly grazed Harm's cheeks before she tangled her fingers in his hair at the back of his neck, trying to get him even closer to her.

"Yuck!" Little AJ called from the doorway and Harm and Mac immediately broke their kiss and looked at him. They winced when they heard Harriet's yelling through the phone.

"But Mom," Little AJ whined. "Uncle Harm and Auntie Mac were doing that yucky kissing thing that you and Daddy do too," he tried to explain his earlier outburst and Harm and Mac at once had to groan, knowing that the cat was out of the bag now. The cat, they obviously never had thought about trying to hide in the first place.

"Here, Auntie Mac. Mommy wants to talk with you," Little AJ said and gave his godmother the phone.

Mac took the receiver from her godson and looked with wide-open eyes at Harm, who only shrugged in response. "I guess there's a reason why we haven't thought about hiding it in the first place, Mac," Harm whispered into her ear. "Don't worry about it. Go talk with her while AJ and I take care of dinner."

Mac nodded and took a deep breath. "Hi, Harriet," she greeted her friend and walked into the living room to sit down on her couch. "How's New York?"

("Oh, the bedroom is fabulous, the room service is exemplary and the bathroom is like every girl's dream come true. Oh and did I tell you just how fabulous the bedroom is?" Harriet enthused between giggles.)

Mac could only giggle herself while hearing her friend go into raptures about her and Bud's romantic weekend in New York. "Yes you did. Sounds like you two are really enjoying your romantic getaway. How's the weather?"

("How the heck would I know? But if you want to know it so badly I can take a quick look out of the window and tell you," Harriet immediately answered and shared a short laugh with Mac. "But that's not important anyway. What is my son talking about you and Harm doing this yucky kissing thing?")

Mac slightly blushed even though her friend wasn't around and cleared her throat. "Yeah… well… look… Harriet, I'm really sorry that we weren't a bit more careful around the kids."

(Harriet could only chuckle while hearing the uncertainness in Mac's voice. "Mac, don't worry about it, okay? Every kiss that lasts longer than a half second is already a yucky kiss for AJ. So… how long have you and Harm been together?" Harriet wanted to know. "Not that I'm nosy or anything," she added with a giggle. "But I need details.")

"Ummmm," Mac stammered, not sure how to answer that question.

("Mac?")

"Three hours, twenty-four minutes and nineteen seconds," she answered as quick like a shot.

("Wow!")

"Yeah, amazing, isn't it?" Mac dreamily responded.

("Yeah, amazing it sure is. You actually know the exact amount of seconds?" Harriet asked astonished.)

"Okay, maybe it was seventeen seconds. I'm not quite sure about it."

("Oh, you mean he found a way to distract you and that inner clock of yours?")

"He should have a license for his lips. They should be registered as a lethal weapon," Mac confessed before she could stop herself and once more was greeted with laughter from the other side of the phone-line. However, this time it was mixed with a chuckle from her left side.

Mac looked up and right into Harm's shining eyes. He had a proud smile on his face and the only thing Mac could do was to groan.

("Mac, are you alright?" Harriet asked in worry as soon as she'd heard Mac's groan.)

"That depends," Mac only answered, never breaking the eye contact between her and Harm.

("On what?" Harriet now wanted to know, not understanding what was going on with her friend.)

"On how much of Harm's swelling ego I can handle."

("Uh oh, he heard you, huh?")

Mac saw that Harm's grin got even wider, if that was possible, and he obviously tried his best to not laugh out loud. "Ooooh yeah," she answered Harriet and then looked questioningly at Harm. "Is there something you wanted, Harm?" Mac asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Harm smirked and nodded his head. "I just wanted to let you know that supper is ready to be served. AJ and I were able to come up with a self-made tomato sauce."

"Okay. Thanks," Mac answered and wanted to go back to her conversation with Harriet but saw that Harm wanted to say something more. "Yes? Is there something more?"

"Yeah, there actually is. Mac, if you think I should have a license for my lips you should see what my hands are capable of doing. You haven't seen a lethal weapon yet," he told her with a wink and without waiting for a reaction he turned around and made his way back into the kitchen, leaving a dumbfounded Mac behind.

("Mac, did he just…?" Harriet asked, not knowing what to say or think about the statement she'd just heard through the phone from Harm.)

"Uh huh," Mac only responded, obviously not able to say or think of something while still being dumbfounded about Harm's explanation.

("Okay. Well, I think he also said something about supper so I better let you go then.")

"Uh huh," Mac replied while her mind was somewhere else and far, far away.

Just the thought about his hands roaming all over her, made her body shiver in thrill and her tongue moistening her lips in desire.

("MAC!" Harriet screamed through the phone, apparently trying to get her friend's attention for a while now.)

"Huh?"

(Harriet just shook her head, knowing that her friend really had it bad. "I said that I better let you go so you can go and eat your dinner," she repeated her earlier statement.)

"Yeah, I think I better go now," Mac said and finally remembered what she wanted to talk about with Harriet. "Oh, before I forget. Are you two able to come back tomorrow, or is your flight cancelled?"

("Bud called the airline earlier and they said the flight should go like scheduled. So we'll be back as planned.")

"Got it. We're bringing Jimmy and AJ back home as soon as possible, okay?"

("That's fine. We'll be there," Harriet assured, fighting with herself not to make another remark about Mac's 'we'-comment.)

"Okay, till tomorrow then. You two enjoy the rest of your weekend now."

("You guys too," Harriet replied and immediately added with a giggle. "I mean the four of you of course.")

Mac shook her head and chuckled. "Of course. Good bye, Harriet, and say hi to Bud."

("Will do. Give the boys a hug and kiss from me, okay?" Harriet asked and again had to add something. "And of course I mean the three of them. Bye, bye.")

Before Mac could say something more Harriet had hung up on her. She turned off the phone and took a deep breath trying to get herself under control again.

'I can't believe he said that to me,' Mac thought to herself. 'And much more I can't believe just how much power he has over me.' "Damn that man," she muttered to herself and smirked just as the man of her desire and Little AJ walked into the living room, carrying their dinner to the dining table.

"Come on, Marine. I bet you're hungry," Harm said while placing Jimmy into his highchair.

"Oh, I'm hungry in more ways than you know," she quietly responded and was happy that he hadn't heard her since Little AJ was talking with him about the movie they wanted to watch after dinner. "In more ways than you know," Mac softly repeated her words.

And she was hungry. Hungry for dinner, hungry for Harm and most of all hungry for a future with him where the stars would finally be in alignment.

TBC